Warrior Angel
by JayPun
Summary: During the winter months, after the farm fell, the group gets mixed up with a community of delusional people who mistakes Daryl for a holy angel, sent from Heaven to end the plague and heal the sick. Now the group must find a way to get out of a heavily armed, religious town. Which is proving difficult, thanks to Daryl's new "celebrity" status.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own The Walking Dead.

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Warrior Angel

They had lost the farm a month ago and times were incredibly hard on everyone. Some of the group members still had some trust issues with Rick, but that had overall blown away. Lori was starting to get a baby bump and Carl was growing taller and maturing at a rapid rate. Much of the group members were tired, distraught, and had lost quite a bit of weight, but they had grown stronger as a group with harsh pushing from Rick. Daryl had become Rick's full-time right-hand man and was among the most valued members of the group.

The group constantly moved from house to house, staying no longer than a few days. They usually only stayed for one. They were always on guard, always alert.

Rick eyed the hunter's back as they walked in the woods. The two walking further ahead from the group. Daryl had caught wind of a deer's trail and decided to pursue it, seeing as the group really needed some meat. The rest of the group hung further back from the two, so they wouldn't make as much noise, giving Rick and Daryl the chance to sneak up on the deer. Rick's eyes weren't on the ground, though, but on the pair of wings that were part of Daryl's vest. The hunter became known for the piece of clothing as he was rarely seen without it. The wings were fascinating to look at. They seemed so out of place yet fit so well on Daryl's back.

"Wh't the hell?" Daryl said suddenly. They both stopped walking. Rick's eyes widened when he saw what Daryl had reacted to. A large buck was hanging in a net a few feet off the ground. The beast flailed around in the net in a desperate attempt to break free and run. The animal's legs kept falling through the net's holes and its antlers kept getting tangled in the rope.

"Someone set a trap." Rick said.

"Which means som'one might live 'round here." Daryl added on.

"Could be a whole group." Rick suggested as watched the deer exhaust itself. The hunter warily eyed the buck.

"Whad' ya think? Leave the poor bastard n' move on?" Rick caught on to what Daryl was saying between the lines. Avoid any interaction with another group, which meant leaving their catch alone, free of suspicion. He contemplated the suggestion.

"I don't know. We really need the meat right now." Rick said. The rest of the group caught up to them.

"That's a big deer." T-Dog said.

"Are we going to take it?" Lori asked.

"I'm not sure. Someone who might live around here could've set this trap. They might be back, looking for this thang. We don't want to give someone the reason to start something with us." Rick said.

"Rick, we really need the food." Glenn said. Maggie's hand was intertwined with his.

"I know, which is why I'm contemplating taking it anyway. What do you think, Daryl?" Rick asked, turning to the hunter. Daryl shook his head, his eyes never leaving the deer.

"I'm get'n a bad vibe from this. I think we should leave it n' find n'ther deer." He stated, calmly. Lori raised her eyebrows at this and turned to her husband.

"Rick, are you sure that's a good idea?" She asked in practically an accusing fashion.

"If Daryl says it's a bad idea, then i'm going to leave it." Rick shot back.

"_Rick_, there is meat literally dangling right in front of us, meat we need, and you're going to leave it there because _Daryl_ is getting a bad vibe?" She hissed the hunter's name like it was poison on her tongue. She had never really liked Daryl, especially since Rick started to listen to him more than his own wife. Rick's eyes bore into his wife's.

"I am." Authority and finality poured into those two words, leaving no room for argument. Lori pursed her lips in anger. The rest of the group gave no complaint to Rick's decision. "Let's move." The group began walking away from the buck.

"FREEZE!" They all jumped and immediately lifted their weapons, ready to fire. There was group of eight, armed people off to the left of them. The strangers were pointing their weapons at them. "That's our deer!" A man standing in front of the group, which consisted of all men and one female, shouted. He held a shotgun in his hands.

"We're not taking your deer," Rick shouted back. "In fact, we were just leaving." A twig suddenly snapped from the opposite side Rick's group. They swung their back to the opposing and was met with the sight of six Walkers. Daryl made quick work of them, putting a bolt in each before they could get too close. "We have no intention of hurting anyone." Rick said as he turned back to the other group. His eyebrows shot up in confusion. The entire group stared up in awe at something, their weapons hung at their sides. They looked at if they were about to cry. The woman took a few steps toward them, causing the group to aim their weapons at her.

" My eyes must deceive me. What I am seeing cannot be real." She said as tears began to pour down her face. She rushed at the group.

"Whoa, lady." Rick snapped at her, trying to get her away from his group. The woman pushed pass him and rushed over to Daryl. Before the hunter could protest, she grabbed his hands and held them in hers.

" Preacher Malory spoke true. You have come to us. Our blessed Angel." She wept out, never letting go of Daryl's hands, no matter how much he tried to pry them free. The rest of her group rushed over to Daryl falling to their knees when they were in front of him.

"Angel? The hell you talkn' 'bout, lady?" Daryl growled in confusion, his crossbow hung on his back. The rest of Rick's group stood frozen, confused about what the hell was going on.

"Yes!" The woman bellowed. "The bow; it makes perfect sense. The wings on your back proves it! You must be our warrior angel Zerachial, sent here in flesh to come pass judgement on us all. His Holiness, Preacher Malory predicted you would come to us." She dropped to her knees and began to kiss Daryl's hands, much to his dismay. "I beg you!" She wailed, kissing his hands again. "Heal the disease that plagues this world!" Daryl stared at the woman in shock. He drew his gaze to Rick, silently begging him to step in and do something. Rick took a step toward Daryl and the group.

"Hey, now." He tried calmly. The group was suddenly on their feet, all of them pointing their weapons at Rick, who took a surprised step back.

"You dare not come near Zerachial!" One of the men shouted. "Sinners like you all should have to earn the right even look upon his Holiness!" Rick's group stared at them shocked, unsure what to do or how to get Daryl away from the delusional group. The woman suddenly rose, eyeing Carl.

"Boy, what is that on your head?" She asked. Carl stared at her, confused by the sudden change of subject. He looked at his father, silently asking if he should answer her. Rick gave him a sharp, guarded nod.

"My dad's sheriff hat." He answered slowly, scared his response wouldn't please her. Her eye's seemed to light up at the information.

"And who is your father?" She asked. As an answer, he pointed at Rick, who was glaring at the woman, his pose defensive. The woman's eyes rested on him. A large, thankful grin pulled at her cheeks.

"Oh, yes. You must be The Authority." She said as more tears poured down her face.

"You've got us confused for someone else, lady." T-Dog spoke suddenly. The woman whipped her head toward him and the rest of the group. For a moment, she stared at them, confused. As if she had forgotten the others were still there. Then, realization washed over her face, as if she had come to a revelation.

"All of you must be Zerachial's followers." She said. " It must be an honor to walk within his Grace's path. I envy in your ability to walk with, not only him, but also The Authority." She said

"Who?" Carl asked. She looked at him, shocked. She had obviously expected him to know.

"Why, Zerachial's personal protector and adviser, of course." She said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. She turned to Daryl. "Your Holiness, you must come to our camp and meet all your loyal followers. There, we will treat you and your holy followers like kings. Please, come!" As she spoke, the other members of her group suddenly took the group's weapons from them and started pushing them ahead. The woman and her group ignored their protests and forced them along.

"Do not fight us," the lady spoke. "We do not wish to harm Zerachial's followers." Rick told them to let them be taken. he had to grab onto Daryl and force him to calm down.

"Just play along for now," he whispered in Daryl's ear "We'll find a way out of this later." Daryl calmed down but he still looked pissed.

"This ain't good, Rick. These people are n'sane. I ain't no damn angel." Daryl whispered back.

"I know, but just play along. We'll high tale it out of their camp the second we get the chance." Rick reassured him. Daryl sighed and let the crazy group drag him and the rest of them to where ever they were taking them.

They walked for nearly half an hour, when they were finally greeted by a giant wall made up of worn brick. The wall stretched out wide, closing in a very large piece of land. The woman shouted up at someone on top of the wall, telling him to open a large door, which covered a portion of the wall. The door swung open and they were dragged in. Many people swarmed them, put the group continued to drag them toward a large, three story building. They pulled the group in and walked them up two flights of stairs. The third floor had no rooms, just an open space filled with furniture. The woman's group left and shut the door, leaving only the woman with Rick's group.

"I'm truly sorry for the rough treatment, your Holiness. But it was something that had to be done. I hope understand" She said to Daryl. He didn't respond to her. He just glared at her.

"Why the hell are you people doing this?" Maggie snapped. The stared at her, confused.

"I don't quite understand what you mean. I thought the cause of our actions were obvious. Zerachial and The Authority do not belong out in the open where the Demons are. We can not run the risk of Zerachial being corrupted." She stated.

"Who are you, anyway?" Glenn asked.

"Oh, dear me. Where are my manners?" She said, rather embarrassed of herself. "My name is Charlotte Thanders and welcome to our town: The Temples.

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There's the first Chapter. I would just like to briefly point out that I am in no way, shape or form, trying to push any form of religion on any of you. This was simply and idea that formed in my head that involves religion and will have religious references. I'm not going to go into much detail about the religious aspect of this, nor do I want to. So just read the story and enjoy the fact that these people think Daryl's an Angel. Cause that's just freaking awesome.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I no own Walking Dead

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Warrior Angel

Once Charlotte had introduced herself and the name of the community they now resided in, she left the room and chained the door. The group had no means of escape. All the windows had bars on them and they were on the third floor, making jumping out of the question. Much of the group went to the windows, to see what was going on in the community.

"Rick, those are some big guns that them guards are carrying." T-Dog said. Men were walking on top of the wall, holding military standard rifles. Everywhere the group looked, they saw armed guards.

"Well, that makes jumping the wall out of the question." Rick said. Daryl, who was the only group member away from the windows, paced the length of the room. The man hadn't settled since Charlotte had left them there. Carl watched him pace, his gaze landed on the pair of angel wings on Daryl's back whenever the hunter turned his back to him. He shifted his gaze to his father.

"I don't get what those people were saying. Why'd they keep calling Daryl, Zerachial?" Carl asked.

"It's an Archangel, though I don't understand why they insist on putting so much emphasis on the "chial" part. They're pronouncing the name wrong." Hershel cut in.

"How do you pronounce it?" Beth spoke up.

"It's Zerachiel, with an "e". He's an angel from the Jewish religion. They call him the Angel of Healing. I don't remember too much about the angel, but I guess I can understand why these people would believe in such a thing. Believing in something that can heal them all must of been what's kept all these people going, thinking there's a cure for all of this." Hershel explained. Daryl had stopped pacing, so he could listen to what Hershel was saying.

"You ever rem'mber hearing s'mthin' called The Authority bein' mentioned?" Daryl asked. Hershel shook his head.

"No, I have a feeling that they made that part up."

"Wait, what's an Archangel?" Carl asked "You mentioned it earlier." Hershel looked over at Carl as he answered.

"It's an angel of a high rank. Zerachiel is one of the seven archangels in The Book of Enoch." Hershel told him.

"How do you know all this stuff, I thought you were a Christian." Glenn asked curiously.

"I am, " Hershel said "but my great grandmother was a devoted Jew and she often forced me to learn the Jewish religion, especially the angels. She had a fascination with them."

"It's not safe to be around these people." Rick cut in. "We need to find a way out of here, fast."

"Rick, they've probably got every entrance to this place heavily armed. How're we supposed to get out?" Glenn argued.

"I don't know, but we really don't have much of a choice." Rick answered.

"These people think Daryl's an angel, we can use that to our advantage. They're much more willing to trust all of us if we let them believe we're who they think we are." Hershel said.

"A bunch of Daryl followers who've come to heal everyone?" Lori asked. "I don't know, that's a ruse I don't think I could keep up." Rick glared at his wife, not liking that had she insulted the hunter so openly.

"I ain't no damn angel and I ain't goin' to pretend to be one neither." Daryl snapped. "These people r' delusional chickn' shits and I ain't want anythin' to do with im'. Let's just git the hell outta here n' back out in the woods where thngs' make sense." He said angrily.

"It ain't that simple, Daryl." Rick said. He was going to say more, but was cut off by the sound of chains clinking just outside the locked door. Everyone turned their attention to piece of wood as it slowly creaked open. Charlotte was standing on the other side of the door, smiling at them. A large group of armed men were standing behind her.

"Preacher Malory wishes to see now, Zerachial." She said with an almost insane grin. Daryl took a step back, wanting to get away from her.

"I th'nk I'll stay here." Daryl said. Charlotte's smile faltered.

"Please your Holiness, Preacher Malory is waiting." She insisted.

"I ain't goin' anywhere w'thout ma people." Daryl said stubbornly. Charlotte's face lit up at the request.

"Oh, of course. We will take The Authority with us. Preacher Malory was eager to meet him as well." She said.

"I mean the whole group." Daryl said with a low voice. A hint of agitation flickered through Charlotte for a brief moment. It was gone in a split second.

"I'm sorry your Holiness, but we cannot take all your holy followers. Don't you worry, though. By time you return from your meeting with Preacher Malory, everyone will have been transferred to a room much more suitable of your status." She said reassuringly, Daryl wasn't buying it. He didn't budge and only glared at the woman like she was completely mental, which she probably was. Rick walked up to Daryl and gave him a slight nudge.

"Just play along. Being uncooperative with these people will only do us harm." Rick whispered in Daryl's ear. The hunter gave Rick a sideways glare. Still, Daryl wouldn't move. He stood there, contemplating. Rick continued to give him looks, telling him to go. He wanted nothing to do with these people but he didn't seem to have a choice. Finally, Daryl caved. He let out a sigh and slowly walked over to Charlotte and her men. Rick followed after the hunter. Charlotte's face lit up as she and her men let the two through.

Charlotte turned to most of her men. "Take Zerachial's followers to the Shrine Room and get them comfortable. We will meet you there shortly after our visit with Preacher Jack." The men nodded. Charlotte turned to the remaining four men. "You men and myself with guide Zerachial and his adviser to the Preacher. Come, let us go now." Daryl and Rick were pushed in the middle of the four men while Charlotte led the way. They walked down the stairs and out of the building. They were immediately swarmed by a large crowd of people. Daryl flinched at the sight of them while Rick stood, surprised by the amount of people that lived in the town. The crowd let them through but wept in happiness as they watched them pass.

"Zerachial!" Woman, men, and children alike cheered at them. Many wailed in joy when they saw Daryl's wings. Some rushed up to them, putting their hands on Daryl's back, touching the wings. They mumbled silent prayers as they did so. Daryl jumped and flinched away from the touching. His hands balled into fists and his breathing began to get ragged. Rick caught onto what was happening. Daryl was panicking. He hated being touched, the whole group knew that. The hunter especially hated it when someone touched his back, which all these people were doing.

Rick took action. He wrapped an arm around Daryl, blocking the wings from the crowd. Daryl instinctively tried to pull himself out of Rick's grasp. "Calm down," Rick whispered to him "It's just me. You've got to get yourself under control." Once Daryl realized it was just Rick holding onto him, he stopped jumping around almost immediately. Daryl had come to trust Rick with his life and was one of the few people Daryl allowed to touch him.

"M' really wishn' I had ma crossbow right now." The hunter said in a barley audible whisper. Rick made no comment about how shaky his voice was.

"We'll get it back. We'll get all our weapons back. But first, you need breath and calm the hell down." Rick said. His voice held no malice or agitation, just concern for his friend who looked like he was on the verge of a panic attack. The crowd continued to surround them, shouting and praying. Many still tried to touch Daryl's wings but was blocked by Rick. A hand touched Daryl's face. He coiled away from it, as if he had been hit. Rick pulled the hunter closer to him.

"Ya'll keep yer hands off of him." He snapped at the crowd. Many obeyed and backed off, but still watched them with expectant eyes. Finally, they came upon a large white house with thick pillars. Charlotte led them inside the building. The crowd didn't follow them in, but they all fought with each other to look through the windows.

"Go tell Preacher Malory we have arrived." Charlotte commanded. Two of the four men nodded and ran up the stairs. "Come," She said to Rick and Daryl. "Let us go wait in the living room." She said as she gestured to a separate room to their left. Rick looked at Daryl, who didn't seem to even realize that he was clinging on to Rick's free arm for dear life. His eyes were wild and his chest was heaving. The man trembled as his eyes shifted to the windows, which were packed with people. Finally, a group of guards started to push the crowd away from the house. The group began to disperse, but their eyes were still drawn to the house.

"Um, can ya'll give us a minute?" Charlotte, seemingly unaware of Daryl's predicament, gave them a happy nod and walked into the living room, followed by the other two men. Rick turned to Daryl again. "Daryl?" He got no response. Rick grabbed the man by his shoulders. "Daryl!" The hunter's wild eyes shot up to the former sheriff. Rick carefully led Daryl to a wall and urged the man to lean on it. "Hey, why don't you sit down for a minute?" In response, the hunter slid down the wall, letting his behind hit the floor. Rick squatted down and let go of the man's shoulders. "Breath, Daryl. You're giving yourself a panic attack." Rick insisted.

"Too m'ny peopl'" Daryl mumbled.

"I know. Don't worry about them, just look at me." Rick tried to get Daryl to look him in the eye. Daryl fought with him a little bit but easily caved. The hunter finally got himself to slow his breathing and he wild look in his eyes began to settle as the adrenalin in his system started to fizzle out. He closed his blue eyes and focused on getting himself to stop shaking.

Daryl's shoulders slumped in relief as the panic attack passed. He leaned his head against the wall and let his eyes flutter back open. Rick gave him a reassuring smile. His hands were still a bit shaky, but he felt much better.

"You good?" Rick asked. Daryl nodded.

"F'you ever tell the group 'bout this, I'll skin you 'live" Daryl half-heartily threatened. Rick chuckled and began to help Daryl to his feet.

"I'll remember that." Rick said with amusement. Once Daryl was able to steady his footing, they walked to the living room. Charlotte's men were gone but a man, who looked to be in his seventies, was sitting across from her on an old couch. He a thin, wrinkled man with a calm smile. He wore a priest's robes. The man stood and walked over to them as they walked in.

"You're majesty." He bowed as he spoke. He stood back up and looked Daryl in the eye. "It's so great to finally meet you. My name is Preacher Malory and I'm the leader of this holy settlement, dedicated to you. Daryl stared at him with wide, confused eyes. Preacher Malory turned to Rick. "And you must be The Authority. What an honor. I can only weep that I, myself, am not in your shoes. Please, forgive me for my envying sinfulness." Daryl and Rick shared a "what the fuck?" look before setting their gaze back on the elderly man.

"s'cool, man." Daryl said awkwardly, having absolutely no clue what to say. Rick let out an amused snort. Without looking, the hunter gave a him a quick kick to the shin. Daryl continued to stare at the older man, ignoring Rick's grunt of pain. Preacher Malory just grinned at them, not seeming to notice the awkward tension between the two younger man. Charlotte had the same strange grin that Preacher Malory had on her face. Rick swallowed a lump in his throat. He really hoped this didn't go downhill.

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Chapter 2, thank you to all the people who have reviewed. Here, we meet Preacher Malory. More to come and please to me what you thought of this chapter.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own the Walking Dead.

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Warrior Angel

Daryl and Rick were sitting on a plush, floral couch that was directly across from a dark brown couch, where Preacher Malory was sitting. Charlotte, upon Preacher Malory's request, had left the men to talk. The two men sat awkwardly in the large room, both of them were having a hard time trying to think of something to say. After Preacher Malory had offered them a seat, he just stared at them as if he was expecting them to do all the talking.

"Um," Daryl mumbled, finally breaking the silence. "Wus there a reasn' you c'lld us down here, or are you jist goin' to stare at us?" His words were slow, unsure whether or not he was crossing unsaid boundaries with the elderly man.

Preacher Malory just chuckled."As much as I would love to just simply gaze upon you, Zerachial, there is actually a reason I called you and The Authority to my home." The Preacher said.

"And that would be?" Rick asked, urging the man to continue.

"Well, your arrival was a bit of a shock to the people of The Temples. Though they prayed that you would, they probably hadn't actually expected you to come. The community is in an uproar and you and your followers have not been here for more than a couple hours. I believe it is only fair that the people got to see your Holiness in person, then we can begin preparations in your ruling." Preacher Malory explained in a rather thoughtful tone, the smile never leaving his face. The man seemed absolutely care free, so much so, that it was eerie.

Both men's eyes widened in confusion. "Rulin'? Th' hell you mean by that?" Daryl questioned. The old man's face contorted into his own form of confusion. A hint of surprise was etched in his features as well.

"Do you not know of your own prophecy?" Preacher Malory spoke with a gentle, yet surprised, tone. No hint of suspicion or anger ever crossed his face.

Both men swallowed in nervousness, thinking they had been caught. "Um, well." Rick mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck.

Preacher Malory's eyes widened in realization. "Oh my, you don't." The elderly man's gaze shifted down to the floor, though his gaze showed that he was in deep thought. "This will change a few things." He mumbled to himself. "Zerachial seems to have forgotten what his mission on earth is." Preacher Malory's gaze shot up at Daryl. "Has your transferring here into a physical body caused you to lose your memory? Or perhaps your memory has merged with your host's, causing you to think that you are human?" The old man questioned.

He got no response, only two wide-eyed stares. Daryl and Rick were left speechless. How were they supposed to respond to such an insane question?So they just stared, waiting to see what the old man would say next.

Preacher Malory, seeing their reactions, recollected himself. He rid himself of the shock and disbelief and replaced it with an air of confidence. He grinned at the two men. "No, worries. I will just tell your story to you. You may remember if I do so. The fact that you were still able to find your way here to us is proof enough that you still retain at least _some_ memory of your mission." He said in a reassuring tone. "Don't you worry your majesty, we'll get your memory back and you to your normal self in no time."

"'Nough with the "yer majesty'" crap. I ain't royalty." Daryl suddenly snapped. The praising and respect that he was receiving like some noble would was getting to him. He wasn't used to being treated in such a way. He had always been disregarded as nothing more than worthless trash his whole life and it felt incredibly uncomfortable for him to be treated any different.

Surprise returned to Preacher Malory's face. "But you are, Zerachial!" The man argued. "You're the higher Archangel, higher than even the other six. You, alone, hold the title of The Prince of Heaven."

Daryl scoffed at the idea. "I ain't no prince. I ain't nothin' even close ta that and I definitely ain't goin' to be rulin' no one." Daryl said.

"But you must!" Malory insisted. " It's your God given mission to rule. Don't you even know the meaning of your own name? It means "God's Command". Full destruction of the entire world hangs in the balance. If you do not rule, then you have condemned us all!" Preacher Malory cried in desperate urgency.

"Have you _been_ outside lately? The whole world's l'ready 'stroyed." Daryl shot back.

"No!" The old man stood up on his feet. "We still have a chance to take back the world from the Demons. There's still some of us left. You are our last hope! Vanquish the demons and heal those who can still be saved from the Demons' corruption then rule over us as God has commanded you to do!" The old man spoke with deep passion, every word echoed through out the room.

"An' just how am I s'posed to do that?" Daryl shot at him an accusing tone.

Preacher Malory let out a sigh, calming himself, and sat back down. "In order to answer that, I must first tell you of your prophecy." The man said in a low voice. Daryl and Rick shared an unsure look, but said nothing. Malory took a deep breath and began to tell the story. " It was said in the scriptures we follow, that during the falling of society, the Archangel, Zerachial, would disguise himself as a human and descend to Earth. Though the original texts spell Zerachial's name with an "e", we have come to accept it with an "a". Our earliest leader explained that, this way, Zerachial would know his true followers from the corrupted phonies. It was said that Zerachial would pass judgement on the surviving people and save those who are worthy of God. He would then remove the corrupted and restore the world as it had once been, filled only with the chosen few. He would create a society made perfect in God's eyes."

Preacher Malory paused for a moment and breathed a shaky breath. His eyes were filled with tears, as if the story was too emotional for him to tell. After another moment, he continued. "The problem, though, was that Zerachial would only appear to a chosen group of people who have shown their loyalty to him through devote worship. Only they would be able to recognize him, for only _they_ knew his disguise. _We_, The Temples, know your disguise." Preacher Malory's eye's bore into Daryl, making the hunter uncomfortable. He shifted in his seat, suddenly feeling very self conscious of himself. Malory's eyes suddenly seemed glassy as he began speaking again, but this time, he sounded as if he were quoting something. "He would appear before the chosen few with a bow in hand and wings upon his back and with him, a holy human, chosen by God himself, there to help guide and protect him through the damned horrors that is our world. He is called The Authority and only can he advise Zerachial. The Authority will be a man of law, sworn to protect and keep the peace." Preacher Malory looked over to Rick now. "An officer to the people and a holy guide to Zerachial. Ah," Malory sighed. " and that you were. You have both come just the prophecy had said and, I promise you, I will make it my purpose to help you find your memory and bring you to ruling just as you were meant to do."

Rick and Daryl sat silent the entire time Preacher Malory told his tale, both wondering who had originally made up the BS story and just how it had gotten so many devote followers. Mostly, they were wondering how they had somehow ended up conveniently meeting the descriptions of these fictional beings that the older man and his community worshiped so faithfully. Now, it seemed like only crazy people inhabited the world and now they were stuck with a whole town of them.

Rick cleared his throat "Preacher Malory, " He started. " I'd hate to be rude, but we should really get back to our people." Rick said.

Preacher Malory's eyes widened in confusion. "But what of the prophecy? Do neither of you remember any of it?" He asked, his voice filled with hopeful desperation.

Rick shook his head. "No, I'm sorry. I think it may take a little time for us to, um...remember, but right now ,we really need to be heading back to our group." Rick said.

Preacher Malory's face lit up. "Of course! Charlotte!" He yelled. Charlotte ran in the room, looking eager to do whatever the older man willed her to do. " "Call a meeting at The Square and bring the holy followers there. I will join you there shortly after with Zerachial and The Authority."

Charlotte's face contorted in a gleeful, insane grin. "Of course, Preacher! Right away." The woman looked like she could barely contain her excitement as she bolted out of the house.

"Meetin'? The hell you callin' a meetin' for? We just wan' to go back to our group." Daryl snapped, angrily.

Preacher Malory gave him a pleading look. "Please, just follow along for now your majesty. We're only moving along with the prophecy. You will see your holy followers at The Square, so please, do come along." The old man begged.

Daryl's anger never simmered but he kept his words to himself, seeing no point in arguing with the deluded man. The Preacher took his silence as a yes and asked the men to follow him out of his large home. When they walked out of the house, they find the town deserted. Not a person was seen. Daryl and Rick looked around in suspicious confusion, silently questioning where the psychopaths had taken their friends.

"Don't bother trying to find your followers now, my lord," Malory said. "Everyone has already gathered at The Square in the center of town. Don't worry, you'll see them soon enough." The old man reassured him. Preacher Malory began to walk toward the center of the town, Rick and Daryl close on his heels. They looked around the town, noticing the clean department stores and well kept housing. It was easy to find where the town ended in every direction. The place was literally a square, tall buildings stood at the four corners of the town.

Rick got Preacher Malory's attention and pointed at one of the buildings "Are those things why you call this place The Temples?" The ex-sheriff questioned.

The older man nodded vigorously, happy that Rick had asked. "It is," He said. "Those are the beacons that helped guide you and Zerachial to us."

Daryl rolled his eyes at Preacher Malory's response. A noise began to make itself known the more they walked. Daryl's higher than average hearing, thanks to years of hunting, quickly picked up on what the strange noise was. There were cheers and the constant buzz of people talking coming form the center of the town. It sounded like a lot of them. "How m'ny people ya got here, anyhow?" Daryl questioned.

The Preacher let out a thoughtful hum. "Oh, about four hundred. It's a small community when you compare it to the size that towns used to be, but it's considered to be quite large in today's standards." The man's voice was filled with pride.

Daryl and Rick's eyes widened in shock. "Four hundred?" Rick asked in astonishment. "How have you been able to keep so many alive for this long?"

"That's a very good question and it will be answered in due time but now," Preacher Malory stopped walking. He turned around and faced the younger men. "We're here."

Rick and Daryl looked up. They were at the center of the town, now. Only now did it hit them why they called it The Square. The building surrounded the area just right, making a perfect square. The whole place was made from multi-colored bricks. At the very center of the bricked square, was what looked like a makeshift stage. It wasn't huge but it wasn't small either. Their group was standing on it as well was Charlotte. The area surrounding the stage was huge, large enough to hold the entire town, which it was. It looked like whole community had gathered around the stage. All of them stared up expectantly at Rick and Daryl's group.

Daryl anxiously stared at the large crowd, not liking the sheer amount of people that were packed in the area. Preacher Malory grinned at them and began to guide them toward the stage. Daryl would have run right then and there if it weren't for the fact that the Preacher had a strong grip on his bicep, a grip that Daryl had tried to pry off to no avail. The man strong for being a living fossil. Malory forced them to climb a couple steps of stairs to get onto the stage.

They stepped into the center of the stage and the crowd immediately grew silent. All eyes were on them, mostly Daryl. The hunter swallowed a lump in his throat and suddenly felt very hot. The rest of their group ran up to them, whispering questions of concern and where they had been. Charlotte stepped in and forced them to step back, she even told Rick to stand back. Now Daryl was left alone in the center of the stage with Preacher Malory. Everyone's expectant eyes were on the pair. The ones who looked at Daryl seemingly stared in awe of his presence.

Preacher Malory took a step forward and addressed the crowd. "Welcome my faithful followers!" Many shouted in response.

Daryl looked over his shoulder and stared at Rick, silently asking the man to help him. Rick could only shrug, showing that he couldn't do anything. Daryl's head whipped back around as Preacher Malory continued to speak. "I would like to tell you all the good news personally, but it seems it has already spread." A few people chuckled. "But, I'll be the one to say, with honor, that the rumors are true." Whispered gasps began fill the crowd. "Zerachial has finally come to us!" Malory gestured to Daryl who immediately tried to make himself smaller. The crowd erupted in cheers, cries, wails, and even joyful laughter. They screamed Zerachial's name, a few even lunged at the stage, attempting to grab at Daryl's feet even though he was too far away. The safe distance did little in comforting Daryl. He still backed away from them, practically hiding behind Preacher Malory.

"Our beloved Prince of Heaven has finally come down to save us all from the Demons that corrupted our world. Everyone, it only right that we properly show our devotion and thanks to our savior!" Preacher Malory screamed passionately. The crowd began to shout with him. "Everyone! Bow to our Angel of War!" Everyone was on their knees in an instant. Their faces hung low, touching the dirt. They wept grateful prayers into the ground beneath them. Charlotte followed suit and bowed as well, tears pouring down her cheeks. Preacher Malory slowly lowered himself to his knees, minding his old joints. He too, bowed to Daryl.

The group stared, shocked at the scene. Daryl stood at the center of the stage, alone. In front of him, four hundred people bowed to him, crying in joy at being able to merely be in his presence. Preacher Malory, the obvious leader of their settlement, was bowed at Daryl's feet. They stood, awed at the sight, unsure of what they were supposed to do.

Charlotte perked her head up at them for a split moment. "Bow!" She hissed, as if she were offended that they weren't on their knees like everyone else. Which she probably was. Glenn was first to drop, though he went down awkwardly. Maggie and Beth followed after him. Then Carl dropped down, followed by Lori who took her time, minding her belly. Hershel took his time bending down, careful of his ageing knees. T- Dog and Carol gave each other unsure looks before bowing them selves. Finally, Rick went to his knees. Daryl watched him, his stare practically begged him not do it. But Rick did, seeing no way out if.

Now, Daryl was the only one standing. He looked down at all the people, his group, and Preacher Malory. All of them bowed to him and it scared the hell out of him. He wanted to scream at them, tell them to get the hell up. He wanted to run and hide away from the crazy town. His heart beat rapidly in his rib cage and his breathing came out in short, panicked breaths. He shifted his weight between feet, unable to hold still. Daryl's eyes darted around the area, looking for an escape. All he saw were people and he was at the center of it. At the center of all these people who worshiped him.

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Once again, thanks for the reviews. It brings me joy to know that you guys like it so much and makes me all that more excited to write it. Though I still haven't quite gotten into the plot line, just more of the end of the introduction. The next chapter will settle to the actual plot, though. Sorry about the author's note thing that happened in the middle of the chapter. My computer did a weird glitch thing on me and I didn't realize it had done it until it was too late. I think I fixed it now, so hopefully it's better. Special thanks to DeadHead26 for pointing the problem out.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own The Walking Dead.

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Warrior Angel

His heart was pounding like a jackhammer against his rib cage. His breathe came out in shaky, ragged breathes. His head was spinning. Panic coursed through every vein in his body. He felt like he was going to throw up right then and there. He didn't know what to do; should he run, scream, get mad, tell these people to get the hell up? He wasn't sure.

Daryl looked down at the giant crowd of bowed people with wide, wild eyes. He could hear them whispering prayers, crying the name Zerachial as they did so. His gaze drew to the preacher at his feet. He looked over his shoulder, eyeing his group. A couple of them poked their heads up, but stayed bowed like everyone else. He could tell they wanted to get up and get out of the weird ass town as fast as they could, just like what he felt like doing.

Rick was eyeing Daryl from his obviously uncomfortable position on the stage. He was staring Daryl down, as if he as waiting for the hunter to make a move.

Daryl didn't make the ex-officer wait very long. He turned his attention to the preacher by the hunter's feet. The old man was crouched like everyone else, lost in his silent praying. Daryl sighed in frustration at the sight. Ever so slowly, he knelt down next to him.

Daryl carefully grabbed the man's arms, pulling just slightly. "Hey," He said in a wary whisper, unsure if it was okay to pull the elder up. "Get up, man."

Preacher Malory's head shot up in shock, not expecting the sudden contact. With wide, confused eyes, Malory did what Daryl had asked. He awkwardly stood back, whipping his tear streaked face as he did so. Daryl took his hands off the man and walked back a few steps, feeling uncomfortable to be in a certain distance of Preacher Malory.

"Come on, people. Everyone get up." Daryl's sounded more sure of himself now. His voice rose a little so the crowd could hear him. He looked over to his group and gestured for them to get up too, which wasn't all that necessary seeing as they were mostly standing, already.

Preacher looked at Daryl in confusion as the rest of the crowd slowly got to their feet. "Is there something the matter, Zerachial? Does our praising not please you?" He asked with curious, childlike eyes.

Daryl shook his head at the old man. "You don't need ta be bowin' ta me. It ain't necessary." Daryl said to the man.

Preacher Malory's eyes widened, flabbergasted. "What are you saying? Of course we do! It is our honor to bow to our beloved Prince of Heaven." The elderly man insisted.

Daryl cringed at the unwanted title and shook his head again as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "I don't want to be bowed to." Daryl said in a simple tone.

The entire community stared up a their "angel", shocked that he had told them not to bow to him. Preacher Malory mirrored their expressions. Suddenly, more tears popped up at the corners of his eyes, his lips pulled into a smile. The old man grabbed Daryl's shoulder. He jumped, not expecting the contact.

"Oh, Zerachial." Preacher Malory said. "You're too humble for your own good." He started patting Daryl's shoulder. "Alright. If you don't want your people to bow to you, then we wont."

The redneck gave the man a quick, unsure nod. "Good." He said in a wispy sigh. "Now c'n we git outta here?"

Malory took Daryl's request as a command. Eager to please his "Prince", the preacher immediately turned to the crowd and ordered them to disperse. Though confused and disappointed, the townspeople complied to their leader's demands. "Charlotte," Preacher Malory said. "Take his majesty and his holy followers back The Shrine. Make sure they're comfortable."

The woman's graying ebony hair bobbed a little as she nodded. " Of course, Preacher. It would be my pleasure."

"I must go and address the council. I will join with shortly there after." Preacher Malory suddenly walked up to Daryl and grabbed his hand. He held his grip as the redneck tried to pull his hand back and pressed his lips against the other man's knuckles. "Farewell my Angel." Malory let go of Daryl's and fast walked off the stage. The group watched as the old man walked down the long street and disappeared around a corner.

"Come." Charlotte said, gesturing for them to follow her. The group followed her without protest, none of them wanting to stay on the stage. At that moment, Daryl couldn't bring himself to care where the woman was taking them. She led them to a beautiful home. "There's enough rooms for all of you. The boy will go with his mother, though and Zerachial will be put with The Authority in the master bedroom." Charlotte said.

"What?" Lori asked in horror. "No, I want my husband with me and my son." She argued.

Charlotte turned to Lori and gave her a forced grin. " I'm sorry, but you must earn the right to share a room with The Authority. As a sinned mother, you have a lot of earning to do."

"Excuse me?" Lori asked, extremely offended.

"Zerachial is the angel of children, especially of those who's parents have sinned. Is that not why you have joined his following? Well, that and your husband was revealed to be The Authority. That, of course, is a great honor." Charlotte rambled on.

Lori glared at the woman with a burning hatred. "I think it's time you leave, we'll call you if we need you." She hissed.

Charlotte turned to Daryl, her smile never leaving her face. "Is that what you wish, Zerachial?" She asked.

Daryl shifted uncomfortably when everyone's attention went to him. "Yeah, ya can leave." He mumbled.

Charlotte nodded. "Very well, but remember, Zerachial and The Authority must stay in the same room together. Zerachial's safety is top priority." She said as she left the large home. She locked the door as she did so.

Everyone sat down in the living room and got comfortable. "I think we should do as she says. We don't need to do anything that would cause these people to question who we are." Hershel stated.

Lori let out an angered huff and crossed her arms. "These people here are insane and that woman is incredibly rude. Rick's is my husband, it only makes sense that he sleep with me."

"These people sure don't seem to see it that way. "T-Dog chipped in. "They're acting like the whole world will implode if Rick and Daryl are separated."

"You mean The Authority and Zerachial?" Glenn corrected with a grin.

"Oh, right. My bad." T-dog joked.

Daryl rolled his eyes. "Wh'n the hell are goin' to git outta here? I don' wanna deal with these people more th'n I have ta."

"It's probably best if we try to integrate ourselves into their community so we can learn how these people run. Learn how big of a threat they are, learn the guards' schedules so we know when to slip out."

"Daddy, that can take forever." Beth said.

"I know, but I think we should be safe than sorry. But that also means that have to keep up this act. Let them believe that Daryl's and angel."

Daryl scoffed "I'd rather shoot ma foot off." He said.

"It's not the perfect way to go at it but right now, it's our best bet."

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Next chapter, the group gets some insight about the town and discovers a certain resident that may be the single reason for The Temple's existence.


End file.
